Interferons are single chain polypeptides secreted by most animal cells in response to a variety of inducers, including viruses, mitogens and polynucleotides. Interferons participate in regulation of cell function, and have antiviral, antiproliferative and immunomodulating properties. Native human interferons are classified into three major types: Interferon-α (leukocyte), Interferon-β (fibroblast) and Interferon-γ (immune). Native Interferon-β is produced primarily by diploid fibroblast cells and in lesser amounts by lymphoblastoid cells.
Interferon-β is a glycoprotein. Its genetic nucleic acid and amino acid sequences have been determined. (Houghton et. al., “The Complete Amino Acid Sequence of Human Fibroblast Interferon as Deduced Using Synthetic Oligodeoxyribonucleotide Primers of Reverse Transcriptase,” Nucleic Acids Research, 8, pp. 2885-94 (1980); T. Taniguchi et al., “The Nucleotide Sequence of Human Fibroblast DNA,” Gene, 10, pp. 11-15 (1980)). Recombinant Interferon-β has been produced and characterized.
Interferon-β exhibits various biological and immunological activities, such as anti-viral, anti-tumor and anti-cancer. Interferon-β-1a is approved for sale in the United States for the treatment of multiple sclerosis under the trade name of Avonex®.